Reviews underway after Sunday’s mining tragedies

July 11, 2019

After two mining tragedies on Sunday, reviews are underway on why mining and quarry deaths have occurred in Queensland over the past 20 years, and how to improve workplace safety.

The death of a worker on Sunday at Baralaba North coal mine
west of Gladstone was the sixth death in Queensland mines in 12 months. There
was a separate incident on the same morning at Collinsville open-cut coal mine
that left a worker seriously injured.

A joint communiqué from Queensland Minister for Natural
Resources, Mines and Energy Dr Anthony Lynham, the Queensland Resources
Council, CCAA, CFMMEU and AWU said two independent reviews are now underway.

These will investigate:

Why
mine workers have died over the past 20 years; how industry can improve and how
the mines inspectorate can work better.

The
effectiveness of state’s mining health and safety legislation.

An appointment of three additional mines inspectors and
another chief inspector has been made.

The bodies said a safety reset will be implemented by the
end of August for discussions between management, operational staff and relevant
union representatives on risks and safe practice.

“We acknowledge that
these resets will be tailored to the individual sites and their various rostering
and operational requirements,” they said.

“These resets must cover
all workers. The AWU and the CFMMEU will have discussions with their members on
any other matters that need to be raised during this process.”